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Jon Gruden mulling legal options following settlement with Raiders; NFL’s handling of WFT emails in question

November 3, 2021 Bella

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Former Raiders coach Jon Gruden continues to mull his legal options with several lawyers advising those close to him that they would be willing to take on a lawsuit against commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL over the handling of emails that resulted in Gruden resigning a few weeks ago.

Raiders owner Mark Davis revealed to the media at last week’s owners meetings that he had reached a settlement with Gruden; sources said the former Super Bowl winning coach is out roughly $50 million in future salary. Gruden has kept a low profile since emails including racist and homophobic language he sent over the course of several years while an ESPN employee came to light as part of the NFL’s inquiry into the toxic work climate at the Washington Football Team. Gruden was corresponding with WFT executive Bruce Allen; Allen was also engaged in several legal disputes with WFT owner Dan Snyder, with emails obtained as part of the discovery in that process.

The NFL has maintained that it did not leak any emails to the media, but Davis has raised several issues about the handling of the matter to associates, and he called for a written report of the WFT investigation to be produced last week as well. The timing of when the emails were revealed — in-season rather than at any point in the long NFL offseason — and the nature of what has been released thus far (only Gruden has faced job ramifications as part of the league’s inquiry into WFT thus far) has raised significant issues for those close to the coach.

“This is anything but over,” as one league source put it.

Some lawyers have asserted that Gruden could have a tortious interference case, claiming the NFL influenced his ouster for private emails

BUSINESS BRIEFS: Open house at Kenver; PS21 adds four to board; Salisbury Bank holds 14th annual food drive

November 2, 2021 Bella

Kenver, Ltd. will hold an open house on Thursday, Nov. 4 from 4-6 p.m. The public is invited to meet the shop’s new owners while enjoying light refreshments. Illustration courtesy Kenver

SOUTH EGREMONT — On August 31, longtime South Egremont sportswear boutique and outdoor retail hub Kenver, Ltd. was sold to OvareVentures, which is headquartered in Glendale, California.

On Thursday, Nov. 4 from 4-6 p.m., the public is invited to meet Kenver’s new owners at an Open House. The South Egremont Spirit Shoppe will supply the beer and cheese, and Rubiner’s Cheesemongers & Grocers will bring the charcuterie.

Founded in 1959 by the late sportsman and skier Ken Vermeulen, Kenver specializes in best-in-category sports equipment, including skis, bikes, snowboards, and ice skates. Kenver also sells seasonal designer sporting apparel and footwear, and features a dedicated bootery cellar with fitting specialists as well as a curated collection of artisan wares and home accessories.

Kenver’s historic building at 39 Main Street was built in 1731 as a stagecoach stop, and it maintains its ambiance with fireplaces and antiques. Kenver has twice been named “Best of New England” in the Ski, Snowboard and Cross-Country Shop Awards presented by New England Winter Sports Representatives, Inc.

—A.K.

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PS21 welcomes four new board members

PS21’s new board members, L to R clockwise: Judith Albert, Sarah Chalfant, Leslie Lassiter, and Louis Hedgecock. Photos courtesy PS21

CHATHAM, N.Y. — PS21 has welcomed Judith Albert, Sarah Chalfant, Louis Hedgecock, and Leslie Lassiter to its board of directors. Distinguished professionals in the fields of architecture, finance, law, and literary agency, they all share PS21’s commitment to expanding the audiences for original contemporary performing arts and artists in the Hudson Valley and beyond.

Judith Albert is board chair of Cornerstone Capital Group, which develops and manages

Is Tea Good for Blood Pressure Health?

November 2, 2021 Bella

Hypertension (high blood pressure) means that blood flows through your arteries at higher-than-normal pressure. If left untreated, hypertension can cause complications such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Hypertension affects nearly half of adults in the United States. An estimated 47% of Americans have systolic blood pressure greater than 130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure greater than 80 mmHg, or are taking medication for hypertension.

What Is Blood Pressure?

Systolic pressure: The pressure when the ventricles pump blood out of the heart

Diastolic pressure: The pressure between heartbeats when the heart is filling with blood

Hypertension is typically treated with heart-healthy lifestyle changes such as a healthy low-sodium diet and regular exercise. Medication to reduce blood pressure may also be needed.

Some people also use supplements and other natural remedies to help manage blood pressure. For instance, research suggests that certain teas, such as black tea and green tea, may help lower blood pressure.

This article will look at the science of how tea affects blood pressure, and how best to get the benefits.

Sarah Mason / Getty Images

What Are Catechins?

All tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. The level of leaf fermentation determines the type of tea:

White: Unfermented young buds
Green: Unfermented fully grown leaves
Oolong: Partially fermented
Black: Fully fermented
Pu-erh: Aged and fully fermented

Herbal teas are not considered true teas, because they are made from plants other than the Camellia sinensis plant.

The leaves of Camellia sinensis contain polyphenols that belong to the catechin family. These catechins are:

Epicatechin (EC)
Epigallocatechin (EGC)
Epicatechin gallate (ECG)
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)

These catechins have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants fight free radicals (molecules that cause oxidation from chemical reactions in the body). This helps prevent or delay cell damage and protect against inflammation.

White and green tea contain

World Series score: Astros rally vs. Braves in Game 5, stay alive after allowing first-inning grand slam

November 2, 2021 Bella

The Houston Astros fended off elimination on Sunday night and denied the Atlanta Braves the chance to win the 2021 World Series at their home ballpark. The Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of the World Series by a 9-5 final (box score) to force Game 6 and a return trip to Houston. The Astros still trail in the best-of-seven series by a 3-2 margin, and Atlanta remains one win away from its first championship since 1995.

The Astros fell behind early on Sunday, with Atlanta center fielder Adam Duvall hitting the ninth first-inning grand slam in postseason history. Nevertheless, the Astros were able to rally and tie the game at 4-4 in the third inning. Freddie Freeman then put the Braves back up with a solo home run. The Astros weren’t done, though, as Houston received contributions from unlikely sources against Atlanta’s usually reliable bullpen.

Catcher Martin Maldonado drove in three runs on the night, and Marwin Gonzalez plated a pair with a pinch-hit single. (We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Zack Greinke — yes, the pitcher — also recorded an historic pinch-hit single.)

Historically, MLB teams who lead a series by a 3-2 margin have gone on to win said series 69 percent of the time. That bodes well for the Braves, who will now have two more chances to win another contest — and, thereby, the championship.

Now for takeaways from Game 5.

Duvall powered up early

Adam Duvall has been yet another post-Ronald Acuña Jr. revelation for the Braves this season, in terms of both his power and his stabilizing glove in center. Early in Game 5, it was the bat that made the difference, as Duvall authored just the third first-inning grand slam in World Series history:

And here’s this:

That’s

I Tried Adele’s Punishing Workout Schedule, Wouldn’t Do Long-Term

November 1, 2021 Bella

Adele works out three times a day: weights, then hiking or boxing, then cardio, she told Vogue.
I tried her regime one day, and while it felt good to move a lot, it’s not sustainable for me.
The personal trainer Laura Hoggins advises people to work out less and recover between sessions.

Adele recently detailed the workout regime she follows, and it involves working out two to three times a day.

Speaking to British Vogue, the singer said she’d lost 100 pounds but that

weight loss
was never the goal. She wanted to ease her anxiety, feel better, get stronger, and have time away from her phone, she said.

“I work out two or three times a day,” Adele told the outlet. “So I do my weights in the morning, then I normally hike or I box in the afternoon, and then I go and do my cardio at night.”

The singer works out with trainers and said the routine wouldn’t work for most people.

That said, I decided to give Adele’s routine a try, working out in the morning, afternoon, and evening for one day.

Adele starts the day with weights

Rachel doing squats and sitting on a workout mat — Performing squats in a morning workout, and after stretching at the end.

Adele works through “every weight machine in the gym” over an hour, according to US Vogue.

I’m not sure how many machines there are in Adele’s gym, but if I were to use every one in mine, I’d barely manage a set on each within an hour.

But I did a few resistance-training exercises as I would normally, including squats, dead lifts, hamstring curls, and hip thrusts. I don’t have a trainer, but I do follow a workout program on the Sweat app, which tells me my

BSN Sports Swim Team of the Month: SwimAtlanta

November 1, 2021 Bella

While swimming around the world still looks a lot different than normal due to the effects of COVID-19, we’re still highlighting and celebrating swim teams from across the country. This month, we’re taking a closer at SwimAtlanta, a year-round USA Swimming club based out of Atlanta, GA. Founded over forty years ago, SwimAtlanta serves the Atlanta area by providing everything from learn-to-swim instruction to specialized training for some of the top club athletes in the nation. Consisting of roughly 2000 swimmers across seven locations, SwimAtlanta is a perennial USA Swimming gold medal team that last year ranked #11 across the nation in the Club Excellence program.

SwimAtlanta alumni including Olympians like Hans Dersch, Doug Gjertsen, Kathleen Hersey, Eric Shanteau, and Amanda Weir. The team continues to produce swimmers who shine on the national, college and international levels, including 2019 World Junior Championships gold medalist and 4:06 500 freestyler Jake Magahey and blue-chip prospects like Jack Aikins and Sebastien Sergile.

Coach Chris Davis was one of the founders of SwimAtlanta back in 1977, and he still leads the club over 40 years later. We spoke with Chris to help readers get a sense of what makes Swim Atlanta special, as well as some of his reflection on over four decades on the pool deck.

Despite being a large, multi-site group, the SwimAtlanta coaches focus on the individual, something that’s reflected in Davis’ explanation of his coaching philosophy.

To make the sport fun for the athlete and to help each individual understand their potential as a swimmer. Additionally to create a road map for them to follow should they choose to realize that potential.

By keeping the focus on the individual, SwimAtlanta’s coaches are able to help swimmers develop both in and out of the pool.